African Beaded Wall Hanging
Mid-20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Tapestries
Textile, Beads
Mid-20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Tapestries
Textile, Beads
Mid-20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Tribal Art
Textile, Beads
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Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Naugahyde, Wood
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
Wool, Beech
Antique Late 19th Century French Gothic Revival Benches
Oak
Vintage 1970s German Space Age Musical Instruments
Plastic, Bakelite
Vintage 1950s American Modern Benches
Maple
1960s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
19th Century Hudson River School Landscape Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Suzani Tapestries
Cotton, Silk
Antique 18th Century French Tapestries
Tapestry, Wool
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Murano Glass
Antique Mid-19th Century Burkinabe Tribal Tribal Art
Bronze
1970s Contemporary Figurative Prints
Lithograph
Romare BeardenTHE CONVERSATION Signed Lithograph, Black Women, Train, African American Culture, 1979
Antique 19th Century African Tribal Tribal Art
Bronze, Gold Plate
Vintage 1970s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chairs
Rosewood
Antique Mid-19th Century Burkinabe Tribal Tribal Art
Brass
Antique 15th Century and Earlier North American Natural Specimens
Bone
A Close Look at Folk-art Furniture
Folk art is a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Antique, new and vintage folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, duck decoys, portraiture and paintings, carnival art and quilts.
Quilts are a quintessential part of American folk art but their roots are international, with quilting dating back to Ancient Egypt. The practice spread to Europe and was especially prominent in the Middle Ages, with one of the oldest surviving examples being the Tristan quilt made in Sicily in the 14th century. They were made as bedcovers and clothing, including as a layer for knights to wear beneath their armor. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.
Elsewhere, the vast range of work associated with Mexican folk art includes masks made by Mexican craftspeople for traditional celebrations and ceremonial dances. Mexican masks are part of the country’s folk-art traditions that go back thousands of years and play a role in festivals and theater.
Works in the folk art tradition are valuable because of the skills involved, like weaving, hand-carving wood and even stonework. Many folk artists are self-taught, while some train as apprentices within their community. By using available materials and taking a personal approach to their creations, artists ensure each piece is unique and conveys a story.
During the Great Depression, artistic materials in America were hard to come by, so artisans used discarded wood from cigar boxes and shipping crates to make highly stylized, notched pieces — most often picture frames and boxes — that are today sought after by collectors. This folk art style is called tramp art and was popular from roughly 1870 until the 1940s.
Folk art brings vibrant culture and traditions into your home. Browse an extensive collection of antique, new and vintage folk art on 1stDibs.
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In 1995, the artist embellished a found poster of Martin Luther King with visionary markings.
At Colonial Williamsburg, Everything Old Is New Again
With the help of a new director, the Virginia institution's folk art and decorative arts museums are undergoing extensive upgrades.
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Tramp Art, America’s Most Misunderstood Art Form, Is Trending in Interiors
Designers are beginning to see this enigmatic form of folk art in a whole new light.